Leading care home provider, Oakland Care, is celebrating the momentous milestone of their longest serving team member, Seri Muharrem, reaching 10 years of service.
Seri is a Kitchen Team Leader at their Woodland Grove care home in Loughton, Essex, and plays a key role in driving forward and improving the standards of service within the care home. She becomes the first person from across all of Oakland Care’s 10 care homes to reach a decade with the provider.
As a young mother at the age of 19, Seri sought to start a career to support her new family. It was through an early role that she recognised her natural ability and interest in caring for others. Eager to pursue this, Seri would go onto secure a role as a Carer in Epping, where it quickly became evident the core caring qualities she possessed and her motivation to help others. It was also where she developed her skills and knowledge in health and social care, achieving both Level 2 and 3 NVQ Diplomas.
Shortly after the care home’s opening in 2014, Seri made the move to Oakland Care’s Woodland Grove care home. Thrilled at the prospect of joining a growing team, it was here where she began her journey at Oakland Care as a Care Assistant. This proved to be a fantastic decision, and since this point she has not looked back. Over the last ten years Seri has transitioned into roles of increasing responsibility, first transferring to Hospitality Assistant before being promoted to Kitchen Team Leader.
In her current role she is focused on helping residents and their families through the delivery of outstanding hospitality, ensuring that not only the level of service is excellent, but the culinary offering as well. This has included supporting with sourcing local produce, producing seasonal and varied menus, and serving signature dishes to residents and their families. During her time at Oakland Care Seri has also continued to display a commitment to excellence through her daily efforts to improve her skillset through the care home provider’s team member training offerings.
Reflecting on her landmark achievement, Seri Muharrem, said: “I am immensely proud of my accomplishments and growth since joining Oakland Care. I began my journey as a Care Assistant, an experience that enriched me with lasting memories of the residents, their families, and my colleagues. I am delighted to now be driving forward quality care and support through my role as Kitchen Team Leader. This journey of navigating a successful and varied career path while being a young mother has been a testament to my determination and hard work, with the invaluable support of the rest of the team at Woodland Grove.”
“Building on the success of the last decade, I look forward to continuing my career development at Oakland Care, including taking on more managerial responsibilities. With Oakland Care’s recognition as an ‘Investor in People’ and the supportive team environment, I am delighted to be surrounded by colleagues who will help me achieve this continued progression.
Speaking about Seri, Joanne Balmer BEM, Chief Executive Officer of Oakland Care, said:
“Seri is a true professional and credit to the team both at the care home and Oakland Care as a whole. She always displays a can-do attitude and is committed to going above and beyond to ensure our residents receive the highest level of service and support every single day. I would like to thank her for her unwavering dedication and decade of service to Woodland Grove.
“This is a huge milestone and reflective of our efforts to maintain an industry-leading approach as an employer that is committed to internal growth and support. It has been a pleasure to be able to give wonderful people like Seri the opportunity to thrive in their career here at Oakland Care.”
